Dance With Me Baby
by LukeNLorelaifanatic
Summary: Lorelai is partnerless for the annual dance marathon. Rory couldn't get out of the paper, and everyone else has a partner.. except one person. Can Lorelai convince the grumpy diner owner to dance with her? Takes place in 3rd Season.
1. All alone

**A/N:** Ok, there is going to be a lot of dialouge from the episode They Shoot Gilmore's, Don't They? in the beginning. But, all of that changes around the middle. So, don't fret, it's not all copied and pasted.

-----

Lorelai and Luke are looking out of the window of Luke's diner, watching people pass by. Signs and banners are displayed all around the town square promoting the upcoming 24-hour dance marathon.

"What about that one?" Luke asked her as a man passed by.

"Hm, no." she said.

"Why not?" he asked her.

"Too pale." she told him.

"So what?"

"Pale means sickly."

"Or sunscreen."

"Or Mad Cow Disease." she retorted.

"Pale does not mean Mad Cow Disease." he said, rolling his eyes.

"Have you ever had Mad Cow Disease?"

"Twice last week and my coloring was wonderful."

"I need a great dance partner this year. Someone strong, non-clutzy, with lots of stamina. Ooh, how tall is that guy?"

"Mrs. Coulter's about 6'2"." he answered her.

"Oh. Four years in a row, I have come this close to winning. Last year, I swear to God, I had it!" she said in a frustrated manner.

"I know the story." he told her, hoping she wouldn't go any further.

"It was hour twenty-three." she began.

"I know the story." he repeated, hoping she would stop.

"I'm dancing with Henry Ho-Ho McAphie the third." she continued.

"How many people heard me say I know the story?" he asked aloud and several customers raised their hands.

"And Ho-Ho's fading, so I'm trying to buck him up, saying "Come on, Ho-Ho. Stay with me Ho-Ho," and then all of a sudden he starts yelling, 'Stop calling me Ho-Ho, it's making me hungry!'."

"Oh, hey, look, there goes Tommy Tune." Luke said, trying to focus her attention back on the passerby's, which apparrently wasn't working.

"And out of nowhere, Kirk comes dancing by, waving a McDonald's hot apple pie in the air and of course Ho-Ho lunges for the pie and drops my hand and that was it. Kirk wins, I'm out. I'm gonna get that Ho-Ho someday."

"I'll help ya."

"I wanna win."

"I know you do."

"I need a partner."

"You'll get one. Keep looking."

"Mm." Lorelai said, smiling and staring at him.

_Luke would make a good partner. He seems strong enough to hold me up when I get tired._ she thought.

"Out there." he said, turning her head.

_There's no way in hell she's going to get me to participate in this lunatic town event. No, uh huh. Never._ Luke thought.

"But, but, wait –" she began to whine before Luke cut her off.

"Pancakes, right? Coming right up." he said and walked to another table as Taylor entered the diner.

"Breathe in deep, folks. Smells like fall." Taylor said in a chipper voice.

"Get out, Taylor." Luke told him.

"Why?" he asked.

"Just a code I live by." Luke responded.

"Oh. . .pffft. . .you. Listen, I'd like to run a little something by you."

"I'm busy, Taylor."

"I was just thinking how nice it would be if you could set up a little coffee stand at the marathon."

"Coffee stand." Luke repeated with raised eyebrows.

_Ooo. This should be fun to watch._ Lorelai thought as she looked at the two as they began to fight.

After a few minutes of Luke's smart aleck retorts, Taylor stormed out of the diner as Luke walked over to Lorelai's table.

"Oh, whoa." she said. "Look at Taylor go. I wonder who he's dancing with."

xox

Lorelai was sitting at the table with her mother and Rory during Friday night dinner, talking to them both about the upcoming dance marathon. As Lorelai started making her chicken and vegetables talk, her phone began to ring.

"What's that?" Emily asked.

"I think that's me." Lorelai said.

"Lorelai, I've told you a hundred times to turn that thing off when you come to dinner here." Emily said, annoyed.

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry."

"Can't you let it go to voice mail?"

"Well, see, I left Michel alone at the inn, and he's dealing with the roofers. I told him to call me if there was any trouble." she said and then digs for her phone.

"Is that true?" Emily asked Rory.

"I'm gonna let Mr. Potato field this one." she answered.

"I thought so."

Lorelai answered the phone and walked into the next room.

"Hello? . . . What? . . . Oh, no, no, no, no, don't tell me that. . .Well, did you tell her how big the trophy is, because I am really not exaggerating here. . . How did your wife get a picture of me? Stanley, that is crazy! I don't wanna sleep with you. . . Did you tell her I don't wanna sleep with you? . . . Well, put her on the phone. I'll tell her I don't wanna sleep with you. . . Well, somebody has to tell her I don't wanna sleep with you. . . Why are you insulted all of a sudden? . . . Stanley? . . . "

Lorelai hung up her phone and walked back into the room.

_What am I gonna do now?_ she thought as she sat down.

xox

Lorelai walked into the house to find Dean, Rory, and Lane sitting on the couch.

"Ooh, cool, pizza." she said.

"Shh." Rory hushed her. "She's calling Dave to see if she can hear a girl in the background."

"Oh."

"I voted that she actually say something." Dean commented.

"You're a boy, you know nothing about this." Lorelai told him.

"Well, what'd you hear?" Rory asked after Lane hung up the phone.

"Quadrophenia." Lane said.

"Classy, but not date-like." Rory assured her.

"You think?" Lane asked her best friend.

"Definitely." Rory confirmed.

"What if he met a girl who's a major Who fan?" Dean asked.

"What?" Lane asked, beginning to panic.

"Why are you causing trouble?" Rory asked her boyfriend.

"Rory, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, sure." she said, and then turned to Dean. "Be good."

Rory and Lorelai walked into the kitchen.

"Okay, so, what's on your mind?" Rory asked her.

"I think I figured out who can be my dance partner for the marathon." Lorelai said excitedly.

"Great! Who?"

Lorelai just stared at Rory, a big grin plastered on her face. She had contemplated this all day. Nobody she knew that came to mind would be willing to dance with her, and Rory was her last option. She knew Rory wouldn't turn her down, although, she may try and put up a fight.

"Bye." Rory said, making to get out of her chair.

"Come on!" Lorelai begged.

"Forget it." Rory said, shaking her head.

"Just hear me out. First of all, you love me."

"Not right at this moment, I don't."

"You know how much this contest means to me. You'd never fall asleep or chase a pie."

"I do not dance."

"It'll be fun. We'll get all dressed up, and you're light, easy to hold up when you get tired." she speculated.

"Mom." Rory said, but her mother wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Plus, we got the whole mother/daughter gimmick going for us. The crowd'll eat that up."

"I cannot dance with you."

"Why not?"

"Because this is Dean's first marathon. We were gonna go and watch and hang out, he's totally looking forward to it. I told him about how Andrew gets in a fight with his date in the first fifteen minutes and storms off the floor. I told him about Taylor getting punch-drunk at hour fifteen and telling stories about how he always wanted to be a magician."

"Rory, please." Lorelai begged her daughter.

"And ooh, I told him about how when Kirk wins, he likes to take his victory lap around the floor to the theme from Rocky. I was gonna show him all those things, and I was gonna show them to him sitting down.'

"He can still come, and he can still see all those things, except if you dance, maybe that victory lap will be you and me instead of Kirk."

"Okay, I'll tell you what. I was supposed to work on the Franklin this weekend with Paris." Rory said, reasoned.

"But?" Lorelai asked hopefully.

"I will ask her if we can reschedule. If she says yes, then I will dance with you."

"Oh, I love ya!" Lorelai said happily.

"You should sell cars."

"I should, shouldn't I? Hello, big fancy trophy."

xox

The next day, Rory approached Paris in class, praying this would go right.

"Paris, hi. Listen, I need to ask you something." she started.

"Shoot." Paris said, looking into her microscope.

"Well, there's this big event that's happening in my town. . . "

"Pig race?" Paris guessed.

"Dance marathon." Rory corrected.

"I was close."

"It's on Saturday, and it's a twenty-four hour thing and my mother really wants to win, and her partner bailed on her and, long story short, I was wondering if there was anyway we could move this Saturday's Franklin thing to next Saturday."

"Sorry, no can do."

"Paris, come on, it's a one time thing, I swear."

"Rory, this an important issue of the Franklin. I'm not blowing it all so you can go square dancing with your mother at hicksville's dance marathon."

"I will not be square dancing and we will not blow this issue."

"No." Paris said. "Saturday, I expect you to be here."

"Fine." Rory sighed and went back to her table.

xox

Rory walked into her house later that afternoon. She knew her mother was home and wasn't looking forward to disappointing her.

"Mom?" Rory called.

"Kitchen." Lorelai said.

Rory walked into the kitchen and slung her backpack beside a chair and sat down, looking at her mother.

"What?" Lorelai asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading and seeing Rory staring at her, a solemn expression on her face.

"I can't get out of it." Rory told her.

"Get out of what?"

"The paper."

"What? Rory, no!"

"I'm sorry, mom. I tried, but, you know how Paris is."

"She can't let you go this _one_ time?"

"She says we'll blow this issue if I'm not there." Rory explained as Lorelai put her head down on the table.

"You will not."

"I told her that. I'm sorry, mom, I really am."

Lorelai sighed and looked up. "It's not your fault."

"There has to be _someone_ who'll dance with you."

"Maybe." Lorelai said sadly.

Rory got up and hugged her mother.

"How about we go to Doose's, buy a ton of junk food, and have a movie night?" Rory suggested, knowing this would cheer her mother up somewhat.

"All right. I guess." Lorelai said.

xox

That night Rory and Lorelai ate tons of junk food. They ordered Chinese and bought cookie dough, mallomars, marshmallows, and red vines. They spent the rest of the evening pigging out and watching all the classics, such as _Casablanca, His Girl Friday, Diner, _and_ Hardbodies._

Lorelai had cheered up a little since that afternoon, but was still a little down. She was really looking forward to winning this year. She didn't think she could stand to see Kirk's smug looking face if he won yet again. She felt it, this was the year. She would finally win that trophy. But, now it wasn't seeming that way.

_There has to be somebody I can dance with!_ she thought, not paying attention the movie. _Lane certainly can't do it, her mother would never let her. Dean is sweet, and he might do it, but it might be a little awkward dancing with my daughters boyfriend. I can't ask Jackson because he'll be dancing with Sookie. Michel likes to dance, but I don't know if I'd be able to survive 24 hours with him._

Lorelai sighed. _I guess I'll just have to wait til next year to win._

She sat and continued watching the movie, trying to get her mind off of the dance. Then, something struck her.

_Luke. I can ask Luke! Well, he said he wouldn't do it, but I bet I can talk him into it. All I need to do is give him the pout, batt my eyelashes, and he just might crack. He'd be a perfect dance partner, too. He's strong, definitely not a clutz with the way he balances holding all those plates, and will be able to hold me up just fine._

Lorelai smiled at her newly developed plan. Rory, who had just turned to look at her mother, noticed this.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing." Lorelai said. "I just may have found a new dance partner."

She turned away from her daughter and gazed at the tv.

-----

**A/N: **Well, here is fic number seven. I plan on writing two more. I wasn't intending on posting anymore new stories until I finished some of my current ones, but I had writers itch badly and needed to write this fic. I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think by clicking that pretty purple button! Oh, and P.S.: it's not going to be all dialouge in future chapters like it was in here.


	2. Partnerless no more

Lorelai entered the diner the next morning in a happy mood. She walked up to the counter and sat down.

"What can I get you?" Luke asked her.

Lorelai looked up at him and smiled. "A dance partner."

"I thought you found one?" he asked.

"Well, Stanely backed out all of the sudden. His wife thought I wanted to sleep with him, which, of course, I don't." she explained. "But," she said, dragging the word out.

"What?" he asked her."

Lorelai just smiled.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

She just kept staring at him, a big grin plastered on her face.

"Oh no." Luke said, catching on and shaking his head. "No. I am _not_ participating in this crazy town even with you."

"It'll be quick and painless, I promise. It'll be over with before you know it."

"You call dancing for twenty-four hours straight quick and painless? Need I remind you of last years marathon when you ended up spraining your ankle after trying to walk on it even though you were sore?"

"Luuuuuke, pleeease?" she begged, batting her eyelashes and giving him her famous pout.

"Forget it." he said, walking out from behind the counter and over to a table. "What can I get you?" he asked the man at the table.

Lorelai jumped out of her seat and followed him.

"But, it'll be fun. We can get all dressed up and even go matching! We'll be the cutest couple out on the dance floor."

_Couple? Couple? Where did that come from? When did Luke and I become a 'couple'? Woah, ok, better choice of words next time._

"Cutest partners, we'll be the cutest dance partners." she corrected herself.

"No. I don't dance and I don't dress up." he said, writing down the customers order and walking back behind the counter.

Lorelai followed him once more and sat back down. "Come on, Luke. I'm desperate."

"Well, that's a first." he commented.

"Luuke! Pretty please." she continued to beg. "Remember, I'm your number one customer. Without Rory and I, this place might not be running."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked, laughing. "You couldn't not come here. You'd die without your oxygen you're so addicted to."

"Please, please, please, please, please! You're all I have left."

"What about Rory?"

"I tried. She has a thing she has to do for the paper."

"What about Dean?"

"They're both going to watch when Rory gets done with the paper."

"Michel?"

"No can do. It would end in a death match."

"Here's an idea, why don't you pair up with Kirk, that way you'll both win."

"God no! I have to beat him, that's the whole purpose of me dancing. If I partner up with him and we win, he'll still have won. I can't do that. Besides, he already has a partner."

_Why doesn't he just give in already? He knows he's going to eventually. Why go through all this trouble when he could have agreed when I first asked._

Luke sighed, putting his hands on the counter and looking down.

_Why does she always do this? She always comes to me because she knows I'll say yes to whatever it is she wants, not matter how crazy it is. _

"Fine." he said.

Lorelai squealed and ran behind the counter, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know." he said, patting her back lightly. He felt a little awkward hugging her. He wasn't used to it. It was kind of making him nervous, but it felt nice, too. "Now, get back over there. You're not supposed to be behind the counter. Only I'm allowed behind here."

Lorelai walked back over to her seat behind the counter, pleased with herself.

"Ok, I'll have a coffee to go. I really need to head to the Inn. It took you long enough to finally accept." she said.

Luke rolled his eyes and filled a to-go cup with coffee, then handed it to Lorelai. She forked over the money, making sure to leave an extra tip, and flashed him a big smile.

"Thank you, again."

"You thank me one more time and I'll reconsider my offer." he said.

"Shutting up now! Oh, and I'll come by later to work out the details."

"Details?"

"You know, what we're gonna wear?"

"Lorelai." he growled.

"Bye!" she said, rushing out of the diner.

xox

Lorelai spent the rest of the day in a happy mood. She was ecstatic. This was it. She was going to beat Kirk this year, no doubt. She couldn't wait to go home and tell Rory.

She drove her way home, parked her car, and got out. She made her way into the house and placed her purse on the coffee table.

"Rory?" she called through the house.

"In my room!" she said.

Lorelai walked into her daughters room and found her working on her laptop.

"Whatcha working on?" she asked.

"An essay I have due for English." she said, looking up at her mother. "What's up?

"Well," she said, smiling. "I finally got that dance partner I told you about?"

"You did! Who?" Rory asked, focusing her attention completely on her mother.

"Luke." she told her.

"Luke? You're going to dance with Luke?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. I just can't picture Luke dancing, much less participating in a town event."

"Well, I have my ways." Lorelai said.

Rory grinned slyly.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." she said, returning back to her essay.

"No, tell me."

"It's just, you and Luke. Together. Extremely close to each other. For twenty-four hours." Rory said, hinting and raising her eyebrows.

"Ugh, Rory, not this again."

"Come on, mom, just admit it." Rory said exasperatedly.

"I do _not_ have a thing for Luke. And he doesn't have a thing for me, either." Lorelai said.

"Uh huh."

"It's true!"

"Mom, the whole town sees it. Everyone does, everyone, that is, but you and Luke."

"Hope you have fun with that essay!" Lorelai said, getting up and leaving the room.

_Ugh. I never even thought of that. Luke and I, standing so close together, touching, for twenty-four hours._ Lorelai thought.

_But, hey, it's not like I have feelings for him, so what's the problem? So what if he'll be holding me in his arms for a entire day?_

That distracted Lorelai and she walked upstairs and into her room. She thought of Luke's arms, wrapped around her, holding her close. She smiled to herself as she let her imagination carry her away.

_Stop!_ she yelled inside her head, shaking the thoughts away. _You do not have feelings for Luke! He's a friend, nothing more. He feeds you, provides you coffee, and occasionally fixes things around your house. Just a friend, that's all._

Lorelai walked into her bathroom, turning on the water and stepping into the shower after shredding her clothes. She let the hot water wash over her, drowning herself in her thoughts.

_I wonder if he's a good dancer. Has he ever danced in his life? What if he backs out at the last minute? Wait, what am I talking about? This is Luke. My reliable Luke. Ok, not my reliable Luke, but, he's reliable and he wouldn't do that to me. I'm just worrying over nothing. _

Lorelai stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel. She dried off and then put her pajamas on. She was starting to get a little nervous about the dance tomorrow. She had nothing to be nervous about, though. It was just Luke and Luke was just her friend. It would all go just fine. She would dance with Luke, they'd win the marathon and be awarded that big, shiny trophe, and then things would go back to just as they were before. Lorelai walked down the stairs and into her daughters room.

"Hey, I'm going to bed."

Rory looked up from the book she was now reading to look at her mother.

"Ok, have fun tomorrow."

"I will." Lorelai said, going over to her daughter and kissing her forehead. "Will you be at the dance later?"

"Yeah, I'll stop by. I love you."

"I love you, too." Lorelai said. "Goodnight babe."

"Night mom." Rory said.

Lorelai walked back up the stairs, climbing under the covers of her bed. She set her alarm clock for five a.m. the next morning, then rolled over onto her side. It was only eight-thirty, but she'd need plenty of rest before tomorrow. She didn't want to pass out in Luke's arms of exhaustion.

_God, that wouldn't be embarrassing at all, now would it?_

Lorelai tried not to think about it as she let sleep overtake her.

-----

**A/N: **Ok, it wasn't much, but it'll get better, I promise. Please review and tell me what you think!


	3. Let the countdown begin!

Lorelai woke up early that morning to the sound of her alarm clock beeping obnoxiously.

_Ugh. Damn alarm. I really should invest in a new way of waking up in the morning. If only my bedroom where downstairs. Then, I could set the coffee machine to make me coffee every morning at a certain time, then I'd be able to wake up to the smell of coffee. We all know that, that would work. How could it not? I love coffee. _

_Ok, now I'm thinking random things. I have to get up. But, I don't want to get up. I wish I could just stay under the covers all day and just sleep. Alright, enough stalling, get up!_

Lorelai opened her eyes and blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the dark room. She reluctantly threw the covers off herself and climbed out of bed. She made her way to the bathroom, stumbling over all the clutter on the floor on the way. She turned the light on and made her way to the shower.

xox

Fifteen minutes later, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom in her purple robe with the coffee cups on them. She went downstairs and walked into the kitchen, making a pot of coffee. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she went over to the cabinet and took out a package of poptarts before placing them in the toaster.

Once she poured her a cup of coffee and placed the poptarts on a plate, she headed back upstairs and sat down in front of her vanity mirror. She plugged in her curling iron and ate her breakfast as she waited for it to heat up.

After her hair was curled, only burning herself three times due to still not being fully awake, she unplugged the curling iron and began working on her makeup. After pefecting herself, she walked over to the closet and took her blue dress out of it's cover. She unzipped the back and stepped in before zipping it back up best she could.

After putting on her vintage shoes, she walked downstairs and back into the kitchen. She poured some coffee into a thermos and then wrote Rory a quick note before heading out the door and over to Luke's.

xox

As she approached the diner, she saw that the lights were on and Luke was behind the counter, pouring some coffee into a to-go cup. The bell above the diner door jingled, signaling her entrance.

Luke looked up at her and was in a state of awe for about two seconds before he gathered himself together.

"Hey," he said, looking at the beautiful woman before him. "You look... nice,"

"Thanks," she said, flashing him her famous smile. "I see you dressed according to plan,"

Luke was dressed in a nice, dark blue, long sleeved shirt and black slacks. Before heading home the previous day, Lorelai had stopped by the diner to discuss their attire for the dance. It took a lot of convincing to get Luke to agree.

"Yeah, well, if I had my way, I would be in jeans and a flannel. But, if I did that, I knew you'd just force me to change anyway," he stated.

"You look nice, though. You should dress in stuff other than jeans and flannel more often. It suits you,"

Luke just smiled at her before handing her the to-go cup.

"I figured you'd be needing this,"

"You're an angel! I made me a thermos, but I drank it all on the way here," she told him, taking the cup and drinking it graciously.

"You have a problem," he said as he walked out from behind the counter and headed to the door. Lorelai followed him and they both made their way to the school gym after Luke had locked up.

"Look at more as a guilty pleasure,"

Luke rolled his eyes as they reached the table Babette was sitting at.

"Hey Babette," Lorelai greeted.

"Hey doll. Well, Luke, I'm suprised to see you here. Are you Lorelai's dance partner? I heard from Miss Patty that Lorelai had finally scored a partner. We've all been wondering who he was,"

"Yeah, she conned me into it,"

"Did not!" Lorelai countered.

"The only way I could get you to shut up was by saying yes," he said, turning towards her.

"Watch it, mister. You're stuck with me for twenty-four hours. I can make these hours the most annoying, unpleasant ones of your life,"

"Would you like me to back out now?" he asked.

"You wouldn't dare!" she said, gaping at him in horror.

"I can be just as evil as you," he said, earning a death glare from Lorelai.

Babette, who was watching the two bicker, inwardly laughed.

"Ok, you two, go inside and get your physicals and then you can get your numbers," she told them.

"Thanks, Babette," Lorelai said before grabbing Luke by the elbow and dragging him inside.

They walked up to a woman in a nurses outfit. The nurse looked up at them, a stony expression etching her face.

"Names?" she asked.

"Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes," she said.

"Lorelai Gilmore?" the nurse repeated.

"Um.. yes,"

"You aren't how you were described," the woman stated.

"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked.

"You're supposed to have nappy hair, glasses, and bucked teeth,"

Lorelai, who was thoroughly confused, asked "Wha- oh, you're Stanley Appleman's wife aren't you?"

The nurse frowned, placed a hand on her hip and nodded.

"Well, um, Stanley has talked nothing but how sweet, kind, and ..." the nurse was still frowning and Lorelai knew that her defense wasn't working. "Is there anyone else we can get to do our physicals?"

The nurse shook her head and Lorelai sighed.

xox

Fifteen minutes later, Luke and Lorelai had completed their physicals and had gotten their numbers. They both walked into the gym, Lorelai's mood having already been dampered. Luke couldn't help himself but laugh a little at the situation.

"Shut up," Lorelai shot at him.

"Sorry," he said, still laughing a little. "I just didn't know that you and Stanley's wife were such good friends,"

"I can't believe that. How was I to know that he got back together with his wife? People, I wasn't intending on dating him! I just need a dance partner! Jeez,"

Luke laughed once more. He was about to comment when Sookie and Jackson walked up to them.

"Lorelai!" Sookie said, walking up to her best friend and grabbing her by the arm. "I have something to tell you,"

"Wha-? Uh, ok," Lorelai said as she was being dragged out of the gym. "I'll be back, Luke,"

"Luke? You're dancing with Luke?" Sookie asked, suprised, once they had gotten outside.

"Yeah, I am. Anyway, what's up? I felt like I was being dragged to prison,"

"Sorry about that," Sookie apologized. "I just really need to talk to you,"

"Is everything ok?"

"Jackson wants four in four," Sookie said, a scared expression plastered on her face.

"He wants what?"

"Four in four. Four kids in four years,"

"No!" Lorelai gasped.

"Yes,"

"What did you say?"

"Um, I think I said yes,"

"What? Sookie, that's crazy! Four kids in four years? Goodbye alcohol, hello apple juice!"

"I know! We were just eating dinner when he said he wanted four in four and I was so freaked out that I replied with 'Suuure', only I think he took it as 'Sure!' so now we have to start procreating,"

"Are you ready for this?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know... I mean, I want kids. But, I only intended on having one, maybe two. And not one right after the other. This is big. I'm not sure I'm ready, but I don't want to disappoint Jackson,"

"Aw, hun, you have to tell him. Kids are hard to handle. You don't want to start having them if you're not ready,"

Sookie sighed, "I know. I'll talk to him later. Come on, let's go back in,"

Together, the girls walked back into the gym and over to Luke and Jackson.

"Ok, everyone, listen up!" Taylor Doose's voice was heard through the megaphone. "The dance will be starting in ten minutes. Now, before we start, we need to cover some ground rules. You and you're partner are to remain touching at all times. The only time you may leave the dance floor is if you hold up your emergency yellow card. If you are dancing inappropriately or you and your partner are not touching, we will ask you to leave the dance floor. Now, I expect this to be clean and fun,"

"Ready?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready to participate in some lunetic town event,"

"Good," Lorelai said, stepping closer to him and placing one of her hands in his and wrapping the other one around his neck.

A lump formed in Luke's throat as Lorelai wrapped her arm around him. The space between them lessened as she inched closer to him and he looked down at her as Taylor's voice was heard once again.

"Let the countdown begin!"

"Ten,"

"Nine,"

"Eight,"

"Seven,"

"Six,"

Luke was lost in gazing at Lorelai as she became excited with the start of the dance, counting down with the rest of the town. She was smiling and there was a slight twinkle in her eyes. He couldn't help but smile at how happy she was. He knew she loved participating in these crazy town events. If it made Lorelai happy, it made him happy.

"Five,"

"Four,"

"Three,"

"Two,"

"One,"

Lorelai looked up at Luke and smiled at him as the horn was blown, signaling all of the participants to start dancing.

-----

**A/N: **So... I know it's been forever since I've updated. I'm so, so, so, so, so, sorry! Fall break is about to come up and I'll have more time hopefully have more time to update all of my fics. One of the downfalls of school: it is extremely time consuming. At least on my part it is. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please leave me your thoughts in those lovely reviews I enjoy so much!


	4. Hour one

The music began and everyone around them immediately started to move in rythm. The first song was an old, fast swing song from the '50's. Reluctantly, Luke began moving along with the music, one hand in Lorelai's and the other resting on her waist. He looked into Lorelai's face and noticed she wore a puzzled expression.

"What?" he asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.

"Nothing," she said and then a sly smile began to play on her lips. "It's just, you never told me you could dance."

"Ah jeez," Luke said, rolling his eyes and looking down at his shoes, slightly embarrassed.

"No, you're good. I never took you for the dancing type," she said, reassuring him.

"I don't dance," he said simply.

"Really? Then what do you call this?" she asked, nodding her head down towards their feet.

"I can leave, ya know."

"You wouldn't dare!" she said, gasping.

"Oh, but I would," he said, this time giving her the sly smile.

"You would not," she said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Oh really?" he asked and then took his hand out of hers, leaving only the one resting on her waist.

"Luke!" Lorelai shouted, grabbing his hand back and Luke laughed. "That is not funny!"

Luke just continued to laugh as they continued moving along with the music. It seemed as if some of the awkwardness had been lifted off their shoulders, much to his relief. There was still a bit of tension though, with the close proximity of the two. Luke couldn't remember a time when he'd been this close to Lorelai before, with the exception of the time where he almost kissed her in the diner two years ago behind the counter.

Silence fell between the two, and the laughter and chatter of the participants as well as the audience could be heard all throughout the room. The song changed, it was a slower tune this time. The two looked at each other shyly and slowed down their movement to a slight sway. They stayed silent for a few more seconds before it got to be too much for Lorelai, and she broke the silence.

"So where did you learn to dance?" she asked him.

Luke was silent for a minute and looked as though he were thinking. He had a far off look in his eye and Lorelai looked at him curiously. A few seconds later, he answered.

"From my mom, when I was little. She loved to dance. My dad wasn't one for it, but he always gave in for her," he said, a small smile playing lightly on his lips.

Lorelai smiled as well, listening intently as he spoke of his parents. Luke wasn't one to speak of his childhood much and she always enjoyed the times he did. There was something about him as he spoke about his parents, he always seemed to be a different person. He was more relaxed and his smile always touched his eyes that seemed to shine in the respect and love he had for them.

"She was listening to some of her old records one rainy day while we were baking cookies. She had just put the cookies in the oven to bake and one of her favorite songs came on. It was 'The Way You Look Tonight' by Frank Sinatra. She always loved his music.

"So, I was sitting at the table, cleaning up some of the mess when she walked up and grabbed my hand. She pulled me out of my chair and told me she wanted to teach me to dance. I started to protest, but she just laughed and told me it was proper for every boy to know how to dance. She looked really happy and excited at the prospect of teaching me, so I gave in.

"We went through that entire record," he said, shaking his head and laughing slightly at the memory. "We danced through the entire thing until the cookies were ready. It's just stuck every since."

Lorelai smiled as they continued to sway with the music. She could picture it all in her mind, Luke as a boy, dancing with his mother in their kitchen. She found herself wishing she had known Luke back then, had known his family. They seemed like the picture perfect family. With the few times Luke had told her about them, it seemed like he had grown up in a house full of love. She couldn't help but think that Luke might've been a different person then than he was now.

"Tell me more," she insisted quietly.

"More of what?"

"Of you, of your childhood and your parents."

"There's not much to tell," he said, shrugging and looking down at his shoes.

"Oh come on, there's plenty more," she said, rolling her eyes. "You played sports in high school right? When did you start playing?"

"Well, my dad was always a Red Sox fan. We'd watch all the games together. At least twice during the season we'd go to one. Baseball's been apart of my life ever since I can remember.

When I was about three, I think, my dad bought me my first glove. We'd stand out in the backyard for hours just playing catch while he talked about all the different rules involved in playing the sport. Then he bought me a bat a little while after that. I started off just playing tee ball and then when I was probably five he started teaching me to bat without the tee stand.

I didn't play on a team until I was six. I remember my very first game. I was first to bat. I missed the first ball, but on the second pitch I hit a fly ball. I was so shocked that I had actually hit the ball that I accidentally ran the opposite direction of where I was supposed to run to. I remember the look on my father's face so clearly. He looked so proud, as if me hitting that ball was the greatest thing in the world. It didn't even matter to him that I ran the other direction. I figured out what I was doing wrong a few seconds after I ran off and turned around and ran back the other way. Everyone had been so caught up in my mistake, they hadn't been paying much attention to playing and I ended up scoring a home run.

"After that I just continued playing. Once I started playing in school, I'd get involved in track after baseball season ended so I could keep in shape and improve on my running."

"Ah, yes. Isn't that where you earned the title 'Butch Danes'?" Lorelai asked him, smirking to which Luke rolled his eyes in response.

"I hated that nickname."

"Oh but it suits you so well," Lorelai said, purposefully pushing his buttons.

"Keep it up and I'll give you a nickname of my own," he warned.

"Not like you haven't given me plenty already," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Technically I don't have to be here, ya know? After all, there was no legal document drawn up and signed saying that I had to participate in this ludicrous idea of fun," he said, this time taking his turn to smirk at Lorelai's shocked expression.

"That's the second time you've warned me, Luke Danes. Third time and you've struck out. I swear on my morning coffee if you let go of me, I'll be having a word with little miss Crazy Carrie. I'm sure she has many stories to tell me."

"Ah jeez," Luke said, shaking his head. "They're all lies. She's mental. If you go talking to her, I resign my position as the one to supply you of your said morning coffee."

"You wouldn't dare," she said threateningly, glaring at him.

"Try me."

"Luke, you're no fun!" she whined.

Luke took this chance to spin her out of his arms, still keeping contact by holding onto one of her hands, then drawing her back to him and dipping her down low before swinging her back up to a standing position.

"No fun, huh?"

"I can tell we're up for an exciting twenty-three hours," she replied, breathless from the unexpected spin.


End file.
